Cashew (Anacardium occidentale)
Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) is a unique fruit-bearing tree that produces cashew apples and the seeds commonly referred to as cashews. Botanically classified as drupes, cashews grow beneath the cashew apple, distinguishing them from true nuts which have a hard shell enclosing the seed. The cashew tree thrives in tropical regions, with Brazil being its native habitat, while significant cultivation now occurs in countries like Vietnam, Nigeria, and India.
The cashew apple, though often overlooked, is a juicy fruit that can be consumed or processed into beverages, but it is highly perishable. Harvesting cashews poses challenges due to toxic substances found in the seeds' shells, which can cause skin damage and respiratory issues for workers. The seeds must be roasted to eliminate these harmful compounds before they are packaged for consumption.
Rich in nutrients, cashews offer health benefits, including support for cardiovascular health and potential protection against certain diseases. They are versatile in cuisine, being used in various dishes across cultures and serving as a popular alternative for vegan and gluten-free diets. Due to concerns about the labor conditions for harvesters, consumers are encouraged to consider fair-trade options to support ethical sourcing practices.
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Cashew (Anacardium occidentale)
A cashew is the seed of a fruit known as a cashew apple. The cashew apple grows on a cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale), which belongs to the same botanical family as pistachios, mangoes, and poison ivy. While cashews often are considered nuts and are used in many of the same ways as nuts, they are not nuts. Nuts are fruits with a hard shell and a seed. Cashews do not fit this description. Instead, they are what botanists call drupes. They are found growing on the bottom of the cashew apple and are harvested through a difficult process that puts harvesters in some danger from botanical poisons. Cashews are very popular due to their sweet taste, buttery texture, and versatility.
Background
The word cashew is an Anglicization of the Tupi word acaju, or caju, which is the name of the tree on which cashews grow. The name in the original Tupi means "nut that produces itself" and came to English through Portuguese in the sixteenth century. The Tupi name may refer to the unique way in which cashews grow. Cashew trees are evergreens that grow in tropical areas such as South America, Africa, India, and Vietnam. The part that becomes a cashew grows as an "accessory" to the cashew apple, hanging from the bottom of the shiny red to yellow-red fruit like a small tail. Grayish in color, the small c-shaped protrusion is actually the seed of the cashew apple.
The cashew apple is a drupe. Drupes are fruits with a fleshy outer area surrounding a hard pit with a seed inside. Peaches and plums are examples of drupes. The cashew is considered a drupe even though its seed grows outside the fleshy, juicy, sweet fruit of the cashew apple.
Cashew apples and their seeds mature together and fall from the tree together. The apples are sometimes harvested and consumed as fruit or processed into an alcoholic beverage. The pulpy liquid is sometimes added to tropical juice blends. Cashew apples have a juicy inside and a fibrous outer skin that is not usually eaten. The fruit is very fragile, subject to spoiling from microbes in as fast as one day. As a result, many are either eaten by harvesters or left for animals.
The cashew seeds are collected and prepared for processing. Unlike many other seeds and nuts, cashews are never sold "in the shell." The grayish shell, which actually has two hard layers, contains two caustic substances. One is anacardic acid, an oily substance similar to urushiol, the compound in poison ivy that causes severe rashes. The other is cardol, a corrosive substance. Both have been known to permanently damage harvesters' skin.
To remove the toxic layers on the seeds, cashews are roasted. This must be done carefully in a well-ventilated area because the corrosive substances in the skins can burn the lungs. Once roasted, the skins flake off easily to reveal the light brown, c-shaped seeds that are then sent for packaging or processing.
Cashews originated in Brazil and were carried to other areas, such as Africa and India, when Portuguese sailors visited South America during the Age of Exploration in the sixteenth century. Over the next several centuries, the plants were carried to other parts of the world. They are now grown commercially in almost two dozen countries, including their native Brazil. Vietnam, Nigeria, Mozambique, Tanzania, and India are among the top cashew producers today.
Overview
Despite their unusual origin, cashews are popular worldwide. Many people mistakenly list them as their favorite "nut" and enjoy them as snacks on a regular basis. Cashews are included in cooked dishes from a number of ethnic traditions. Thai food, Chinese food, and many Indian dishes use cashews. Since cashews are vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, they are used as replacements for other foods. For instance, cashews are ground into a paste or butter, which can be enjoyed for its unique flavor or used as a replacement for peanut butter. The seeds can be ground into flour and used in baked goods or other recipes in place of flours that contain gluten. Cashews can be used to make cashew "milk," a replacement for dairy milk, or turned into a creamy substance that can stand in for cheese in dishes such as baked macaroni.
Cashews are nutritious and contain many nutrients, such as zinc, selenium, iron, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamins B6, E, and K. It is believed that the iron and copper in cashews improve the health of red blood cells, while lutein and zeaxanthin can prevent the damage that leads to cataracts and some forms of adult-onset blindness. While cashews contain a significant amount of fats, they are the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that help improve cardiovascular health and promote weight loss. The vitamins in cashews, especially the antioxidant vitamin E, help boost overall health. It is thought that eating cashews can help prevent cancer and heart disease and can have a positive effect on obesity.
Cashews are consumed worldwide for their good taste and health benefits, but they are not necessarily healthy for those who harvest them. The workers who collect the gray cashew seeds for processing often do not have access to gloves to protect their skin from the caustic substances contained in the seed coating. Many of these workers have permanent scars on their hands as a result of their work. The roasting process releases toxic fumes that can cause death, putting workers at further risk. Many of the workers are underpaid, too. Some have suggested that consumers look for fair-trade cashews produced by companies committed to treating their workers properly.
Bibliography
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